PANAMA CITY BEACH — Governmental agencies made significant changes to better manage Spring Break this year, but Bay County Commissioner and Tourist Development Council (TDC) member Mike Thomas feels they still fell short.

Thomas spoke out at a TDC meeting Tuesday against Panama City Beach businesses that continue to attract a rowdy Spring Break clientele to turn a profit at the expense of the entire beach.

“Where the problem is, we have some huge clubs that attract people for certain entertainment,” Thomas said. “We’re not trying to stop Spring Break, but as a year-round destination we can’t tolerate some of the Spring Break guests that we have.”

Thomas said he and Panama City Beach Mayor Gayle Oberst were promised privately after a Spring Break workshop last year that the type of entertainment would change this year, but it didn’t.

“I think those people hurt us,” Thomas said. “I think it’s time that until they’re ready to make a commitment to do something, I think we have an opportunity to hurt them.”

Hurt, he said, could come from changes in county and city alcohol regulations, something he suggested government pursue if the clubs choose to not cooperate.

Thomas’s opinion followed a review from TDC Director Dan Rowe of the Spring Break elements that are unique to the agency, including marketing efforts, beach cleanup and funding the agency provided to aid in special event security this year.

Marketing efforts mirrored last year and included Facebook advertising, presence on the TDC website and a cooperative marketing effort through the Collegiate Marketing Group, things Thomas said were a waste of money with the explosion of social media sharing.

“I am amazed at the amount of money we spend to shape the image, the vision of Bay County and have no more control over it than two yo-yos with a cellphone,” Thomas said. “We can’t beat that.”

Board Chairman Andy Phillips agreed with Thomas, but strongly felt that the agency needs to send out a consistent, positive message about Panama City Beach as a destination.

“We can’t give up to the private clubs,” Phillips said. “We have to be the better entity on the beach. We have to be the leader and hopefully everyone will follow suit and come along with us.”

The board did commend things they thought worked this year, including increased law enforcement presence, and improvement that came from staggering major Spring Break events this year. The TDC provided $100,000 to the Panama City Beach Police Department and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, each of which received $50,000, for increased security presence during Spring Break.

“One of the really big stories is the sand patrol that the beach police did,” Rowe said. “Every day, they had officers out on the sand engaging the spring breakers.”

Board member Mike Bennett said Spring Break is the most difficult thing done in Panama City Beach.

“We’re not laying back; we’re doing a good thing,” Bennett said. “We’re a lot more in control than we were a year ago and even two years back. … You’re not going to change it overnight.”

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